Totals
- Total revenue
- $6,281,904
- Total expenses
- $3,489,395
- Contributions and grants received
- $6,131,551
- Grants paid
- $0
- Program service revenue
- $716
- Investment income
- $151,182
- Other revenue
- -$1,545
- Total assets, end of year
- $7,588,741
- Total liabilities, end of year
- $82,904
- Net assets or fund balances, end of year
- $7,505,837
- Program services expenses (Part IX)
- $2,469,703
- Management and general expenses
- $487,554
- Fundraising expenses
- $532,138
- Program service expenses (Part III)
- $2,469,703
Program services were 70.8% of total expenses calculated — Part IX's program-services column over total expenses, both as filed.
Line items
Every line the filer filed in Parts VIII, IX and X, as filed and in filed order. Blank columns are left out, and the lines are not forced to add up to the totals above.
Revenue
Part VIII, the statement of revenue.
-
1c · Fundraising events
$9,408
-
1f · All other contributions, gifts and grants
$6,122,143
-
2a · Program service revenue: COACHING & CONSULTING
total $716 · related or exempt $716
-
3 · Investment income
total $151,182 · excluded $151,182
-
8a · Fundraising events: gross income
$3,780
-
8a · Fundraising events: contributions included on line 1c
$9,408
-
8b · Fundraising events: direct expenses
$5,325
-
8c · Net income from fundraising events
total -$1,545 · excluded -$1,545
Functional expenses
Part IX, the statement of functional expenses.
-
5 · Compensation of officers, directors and key employees
total $264,934 · program services $52,987 · management and general $132,467 · fundraising $79,480
-
7 · Other salaries and wages
total $2,111,896 · program services $1,729,820 · management and general $127,960 · fundraising $254,116
-
8 · Pension plan contributions
total $36,724 · program services $31,774 · management and general $476 · fundraising $4,474
-
9 · Other employee benefits
total $182,242 · program services $154,816 · management and general $7,223 · fundraising $20,203
-
10 · Payroll taxes
total $189,015 · program services $146,666 · management and general $17,352 · fundraising $24,997
-
11b · Fees: legal
total $55,799 · management and general $55,799
-
11c · Fees: accounting
total $78,051 · management and general $78,051
-
11g · Fees: other
total $215,027 · program services $182,457 · management and general $16,642 · fundraising $15,928
-
12 · Advertising and promotion
total $45,731 · program services $34,842 · management and general $5,586 · fundraising $5,303
-
13 · Office expenses
total $134,070 · program services $71,190 · management and general $6,169 · fundraising $56,711
-
14 · Information technology
total $17,967 · management and general $3,557 · fundraising $14,410
-
16 · Occupancy
total $4,560 · program services $4,560
-
17 · Travel
total $36,233 · program services $19,110 · management and general $1,712 · fundraising $15,411
-
19 · Conferences, conventions and meetings
total $26,959 · program services $23,967 · management and general $1,541 · fundraising $1,451
-
22 · Depreciation, depletion and amortization
total $3,762 · management and general $3,762
-
23 · Insurance
total $23,263 · management and general $23,263
-
24a · Other expenses: BANK AND CREDIT CARD FE
total $29,606 · program services $18 · management and general $959 · fundraising $28,629
-
24b · Other expenses: COMMUNICATIONS
total $13,037 · program services $11,675 · management and general $811 · fundraising $551
-
24c · Other expenses: MISCELLANEOUS EXPENSES
total $11,986 · program services $788 · management and general $1,084 · fundraising $10,114
-
24d · Other expenses: DUES AND MEMBERSHIPS
total $8,533 · program services $5,033 · management and general $3,140 · fundraising $360
Balance sheet
Part X, book values.
-
1 · Cash, non-interest-bearing
beginning of year $249,668 · end of year $422,107
-
2 · Savings and temporary cash investments
beginning of year $2,110,043 · end of year $3,658,668
-
3 · Pledges and grants receivable
beginning of year $1,164,118 · end of year $2,498,021
-
9 · Prepaid expenses and deferred charges
beginning of year $5,710 · end of year $13,611
-
10a · Land, buildings and equipment: cost or other basis
$11,285
-
10b · Land, buildings and equipment: accumulated depreciation
$5,329
-
10c · Land, buildings and equipment, net
beginning of year $9,718 · end of year $5,956
-
12 · Investments: other securities
beginning of year $1,207,242 · end of year $990,378
-
17 · Accounts payable and accrued expenses
beginning of year $69,154 · end of year $82,904
-
27 · Net assets without donor restrictions
beginning of year $3,131,572 · end of year $4,187,478
-
28 · Net assets with donor restrictions
beginning of year $1,545,773 · end of year $3,318,359
Mission and programs · 2024
Mission
THE MISSION OF SPOTLIGHT PA IS TO HOLD POWERFUL PUBLIC AND PRIVATE FORCES, ESPECIALLY GOVERNMENTS, ELECTED OFFICIALS, BUSINESSES, AND SPECIAL INTERESTS, TO ACCOUNT THROUGH URGENT AND COMPELLING INVESTIGATIVE AND PUBLIC SERVICE JOURNALISM THAT DRIVES CHANGE AND STRENGTHENS OUR DEMOCRACY, THE STATE, AND ALL WHO LIVE HERE.
Activities or mission (Part I)
THE MISSION OF SPOTLIGHT PA IS TO HOLD POWERFUL PUBLIC AND PRIVATE FORCES (CONTINUED ON SCH O) ESPECIALLY GOVERNMENTS, ELECTED OFFICIALS, BUSINESSES, AND SPECIAL INTERESTS TO ACCOUNT THROUGH URGENT AND COMPELLING INVESTIGATIVE AND PUBLIC SERVICE JOURNALISM THAT DRIVES CHANGE AND STRENGTHENS OUR DEMOCRACY, THE STATE, AND ALL WHO LIVE HERE.
-
SPOTLIGHT PA IS AN INDEPENDENT, NONPARTISAN NEWSROOM DEDICATED TO HIGH-QUALITY INVESTIGATIVE AND PUBLIC-SERVICE JOURNALISM ABOUT THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE GOVERNMENT AND URGENT STATEWIDE ISSUES, INCLUDING ELECTIONS, VOTING, THE GOVERNOR, THE LEGISLATURE, RURAL COMMUNITIES, CRIMINAL JUSTICE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, HEALTH, HUMAN SERVICES, AND MORE. SPOTLIGHT PA WAS FOUNDED TO ADDRESS A CRISIS IN JOURNALISM IN PENNSYLVANIA: THE ONGOING AND RAPID DECLINE OF CORPORATE-OWNED LEGACY NEWS OUTLETS, WHICH IS GREATLY DIMINISHING ACCESS TO TRUSTED, CONTEXTUAL, AND FACTUAL REPORTING ACROSS THE STATE. SPOTLIGHT PA IS UNCOVERING STORIES THAT WOULD OTHERWISE GO UNTOLD AND CUTTING THROUGH PARTISANSHIP AND MISINFORMATION TO DELIVER TRUSTED, RELIABLE JOURNALISM AT NO COST TO ALL IN PENNSYLVANIA. (CONTINUED IN SCHEDULE O)WE MAKE OUR JOURNALISM AVAILABLE AT NO COST VIA SPOTLIGHTPA.ORG, SEVERAL EMAIL NEWSLETTERS, VIRTUAL EVENTS, AND VIA MORE THAN 100 COMMUNITY NEWS PARTNERS, INCLUDING NEWSPAPERS, PUBLIC RADIO, AND DIGITAL OUTLETS IN PENNSYLVANIA.
Expenses $2,469,703 · Revenue $716
As filed on the 2024 return. The filer continues this part on Schedule O, which is not shown here.
Listed in Part VII
-
David BoardmanDAVID BOARDMAN
CHAIR
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 5
-
Annie McCain MadoniaANNIE MCCAIN MADONIA
VICE CHAIR
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 5
-
Christopher BaxterCHRISTOPHER BAXTER
CEO & PRESIDENT
- Total calculated
- $264,934
- From this org
- $217,499
- From related orgs
- $0
- Other
- $47,435
- Hours/week
- 40
Schedule J breakdown matched by us
- Base
- $207,499
- Bonus
- $10,000
- Other
- $0
- Deferred
- $6,900
- Nontaxable benefits
- $40,535
- Filer's total
- $264,934
-
George FernandezGEORGE FERNANDEZ
DIRECTOR
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 5
-
Kathleen A PavelkoKATHLEEN A PAVELKO
DIRECTOR
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 5
-
Olivia BensonOLIVIA BENSON
DIRECTOR
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 5
-
Rebecca ShovalREBECCA SHOVAL
DIRECTOR
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 5
-
Joanna Zuckerman BernsteinJOANNA ZUCKERMAN BERNSTEIN
DEPUTY DIRECTOR
- Total calculated
- $123,493
- From this org
- $113,418
- From related orgs
- $0
- Other
- $10,075
- Hours/week
- 40
-
Matthew DempseyMATTHEW DEMPSEY
SENIOR EDITOR FOR INVESTIGATIONS
- Total calculated
- $138,276
- From this org
- $130,137
- From related orgs
- $0
- Other
- $8,139
- Hours/week
- 40
-
Carlana JohnsonCARLANA JOHNSON
TECHNOLOGY DIRECTOR
- Total calculated
- $134,604
- From this org
- $119,364
- From related orgs
- $0
- Other
- $15,240
- Hours/week
- 40
-
Michelle MertzMICHELLE MERTZ
DIR OF INDIVIDUAL & CORPORATE GIVING
- Total calculated
- $120,702
- From this org
- $102,448
- From related orgs
- $0
- Other
- $18,254
- Hours/week
- 40
-
Sarah Anne HughesSARAH ANNE HUGHES
DEPUTY EDITOR
- Total calculated
- $144,618
- From this org
- $119,199
- From related orgs
- $0
- Other
- $25,419
- Hours/week
- 40
Compensation is as filed in Part VII: reportable pay from this organization and from related organizations, other compensation, and hours per week. The total, marked calculated, is our sum of the three dollar columns, with a blank column counted as $0; the form itself has no total. On a Form 990-EZ the columns are Part IV's instead, and on a Form 990-PF Part VIII's — compensation, contributions to benefit plans, and expense account — and the total sums those. A Schedule J breakdown is as filed: base pay, bonus, other, deferred compensation and nontaxable benefits from this organization, with any from related organizations beside each, and the filer's own total. It is shown with the Part VII listing of the same name on the same return. The form gives no key between the two, so that pairing is ours, and is marked matched by us.
Schedule J
Answered yes
- 3 · Form 990 of other organizations
- 3 · Compensation survey or study
- 3 · Approval by the board or compensation committee
Answered no
- 4a · Severance or change-of-control payment
- 4b · Supplemental nonqualified retirement plan
- 4c · Equity-based compensation arrangement
- 5a · Pay contingent on this organization's revenues
- 5b · Pay contingent on a related organization's revenues
- 6a · Pay contingent on this organization's net earnings
- 6b · Pay contingent on a related organization's net earnings
- 7 · Other non-fixed payments
- 8 · Paid under the initial-contract exception
Part I's answers as filed. A line not listed was left unanswered; on lines 1a and 3 that means the box was not checked.
Grants on this return
No itemized grants to organizations on this return.
Provenance
- Return type
- form_990
- Tax year
- 2024
- Filed
- 10 November 2025
- IRS schema version
- 2024v5.2
- Source object
- 202513159349300131
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